He's dead -- I think it's my fault.

[uRabbit]

I found a baby squirrel in my back yard on Friday. I wanted to learn how to rehabilitate him myself, so that I may later release him into his natural habitat. He was completely unharmed and in great health. I took him to a woman who rehabbed squirrels for five years. She gave me syringes, a cage, and small towels to aid me. She also gave me instructions for care and feeding.

She suggested feeding him a formula of 2 parts water / 1 part esbilac. He seemed to love this. Well, come this morning, I wake up and his paws are cold, but he seems to be moving around pretty well. But he just wanted to lay straight on his back. He didn't want the formula this time. Just to lay on his back. I found this to be odd. I tried to call the woman I'd called before, but she would not answer. I had to head off to my lab & lecture classes, so I had to leave him there. I put him back in his cage, but made sure to place a wrapped-up bottle of warm water with him to keep him warm. He laid on his back when I set him in his cage.

When I got home, he was in the same position. Ice cold. And this time not moving or resisting. I thought he was dead. But his jaw kept popping open like he wanting something. His tongue didn't stick out though, so I didn't think he was gagging. I tried calling the woman and she did not pick up.

I dropped some water onto his tongue, but did not tilt him back, as I knew that if he was this week, then he wouldn't have the strength to swallow. I tried closing his eyes, but they'd open back up, so I knew he was fighting. Well he ended up passing about a half hour later, still in my hands.

I didn't notice any strange behaviour the night before. He was just the normal cuddly squirrel he'd been since Friday.

There's only two possibly things I've come up with:
1) Wrong formula.
2) Yesterday, I had left him in his blanket on the couch, as he was napping. I came back about a minute later from going to the bathroom and the towel was on the floor, he was across the room a little, and my cat was watching him from a distance. I didn't think the cat had gotten to him, but I could be wrong. He did not have any scratches. The squirrel didn't seem shaken up either. Before that, my cat was sniffing him and had licked his hind-quarter. At that point, I pushed the cat away. I know that cat saliva carries a deadly bacteria.

Could anyone tell me what I'd done wrong?

Thank you!

[Mars]

I'm very sorry for your loss. It sounds like your little one went into shock and then into collaspe. The formula was correct. I honestly don't think it was anything you did if you only had him three days. My guess is he had hidden injuries from a fall. Many many babies come into rehab with head injuries or internal injuries from falls because for some unknown reason their moms insist upon putting their nests way up high. Please don't give up on the idea of becoming a rehabber. I admit it is an emotional roller coaster at times. But we need all the good people we can find.

[island rehabber]

URabbit, first of all I'm so sorry your little guy died....it doesn't sound as if you did anything wrong from what you describe. I have a few questions: how old was your squirrel? Completely furred, fluffy tail? Or less furry with thinner tail? How often were you feeding him? And what were the circumstances when you found him? He could have had internal injuries that you weren't aware of, but that didn't affect him until after a few days. Again, I'm sorry.

[TexanSquirrel]

Poor little guy. You tried your best.

[eviejenn]

Mars is right. Even though a baby seems healthy, they may be hiding injuries or sickness. I'm sure that nothing you did caused the baby's death. As sad as your experience was, I hope that you won't give up and that you will try again. I know first hand how disheartening it is to care for a baby, see it thrive and then inexplicably die. Take comfort in the fact that you were able to make the baby safe and warm and that it didn't have to die outside, scared and cold. And I'm sure that the next baby that comes your way will thrive and end up terrorizing your kitty.

[uRabbit]

He was about six weeks old, the woman said. Full-coloured fur all over his body. He looked exactly like a full-grown squirrel - just smaller. Hehe. He did seem to have a scab above his left eye, which was odd. He even had a cute little bump on the underside of his jaw that grew two prickly hairs. Heh.

He was my first. And I hope to come upon more. But how do I increase my chances of finding them? I would really love to make this a habit. It'd be a great learning experience, especially because I plan to help the wolf community when I get older and retire in the distant future.


And I'm sure that the next baby that comes your way will thrive and end up terrorizing your kitty.

Hehe. Thanks for that. =]

Thanks for everything, guys!

edit: The esbilac was puppy formula (not the goats milk). Was there a rodent formula, possibly?

[acorniv]

I am so sorry. I agree with Mars and Island Rehabber ( they are the best, BTW), that he may have had some internal injuries. I've read that these sometimes show up only after death, as blue splotches from bruising.

A few years back I fostered a blue jay chick. She looked like she was in perfect shape. I did all the research I could and did my best with her when my local wildlife center turned out to be run by hyenas. She thrived for a week and then began to decline. I took her to my vet, who is widlife certified, and who has rehabbed himself. He was impressed with how well I'd done and said the wildife center would have killed her several times over by then. He found nothing wrong with her, but put her on antibiotics because she seemed to be less active and intersted in food than the day before.

Long story short, in her fall, she was likely pieced up under her wing by a branch. She got an infection from it, and died from that. Birds don't respond well to antibiotics so they were a crapshoot from the start. No matter what I might have done, she would likely have died - even if I'd seen her injury.

I tell you this because my vet, who is widely considered the very best vet in the state, and who I know to be very thorough, missed it too.

You are blaming yourself because you are new at this, but is that fair? Even the very best will tell you there are some who will die when there seems to be no reason for it, and there are some whose survival makes just as little sense ( read Mr. Tilty's story for one of those).

Let your baby go in peace, and you be at peace with yourself too.

:thankyou for caring enough to try. That is a risk few will take. :grouphug

[acorniv]

edit: The esbilac was puppy formula (not the goats milk). Was there a rodent formula, possibly?[/QUOTE]

Esbilac is for puppies. That is what you want. It is the closest to squirrel milk. Some people add a little heavy cream ( cows) to increase the fat content ( I do this) and others use part Multi-milk, which my local sources don't carry. Still others use Esbilac alone.

About the cat - I have two and am having to keep them in one end of the house with the squirrel in the other. It's no easy trick, and one of my cats would probably mother her if she had contact. But squirrels need to have a healthy fear of cats, or they don't last in the wild, and they won't get it by cohabitating with a cat. It's very frustrating seperating everybody, but IMO necessary. You might think of how you can manage this for next time.I sure wish I'd had a week to prepare!

[uRabbit]

Esbilac is for puppies. That is what you want. It is the closest to squirrel milk. Some people add a little heavy cream ( cows) to increase the fat content ( I do this) and others use part Multi-milk, which my local sources don't carry. Still others use Esbilac alone.

About the cat - I have two and am having to keep them in one end of the house with the squirrel in the other. It's no easy trick, and one of my cats would probably mother her if she had contact. But squirrels need to have a healthy fear of cats, or they don't last in the wild, and they won't get it by cohabitating with a cat. It's very frustrating seperating everybody, but IMO necessary. You might think of how you can manage this for next time.I sure wish I'd had a week to prepare!

Yes. I'd closed-off the squirrel in a room next to my bedroom and did not allow the cats in. But before that, I let the squirrel know what they were and would then draw the cats away.

Okay. I guess the formula was correct then. I guess it was just the little guy's time to go... =/ He was a great first one though. The lady said that it's rare for males to bond so easily with a human. He never bit me or scratched me. I couldn't wait to raise him, name him, and then release him into my back yard. He woulda loved the apple tree, raspberries, and grapes we have growing back there. =]

[acorniv]

Yes. I'd closed-off the squirrel in a room next to my bedroom and did not allow the cats in. But before that, I let the squirrel know what they were and would then draw the cats away.

Okay. I guess the formula was correct then. I guess it was just the little guy's time to go... =/ He was a great first one though. The lady said that it's rare for males to bond so easily with a human. He never bit me or scratched me. I couldn't wait to raise him, name him, and then release him into my back yard. He woulda loved the apple tree, raspberries, and grapes we have growing back there. =]

Ah, I know...the idea of having a squirrel you know in your yard is so great. I feel the same way. Apparently these littel orphans are all too common though, so keep an eye out. What I've learned recently form this board is that if you see a sqirrel that has been hit, check and see if it was lactating. If so, watch that spot for babies. They come down ut of the nest about 3 days later. Do you know their cry? Like a dog squeeze toy :D I swear the other day mine said "Let me out! I mean it!" in dog toyese. She was ungry and wanted out so she oculd come bug me for food ( like she didn't have a cage full, but you know - the grass...

I think few babies are fond because nobody thinks to look for babies, or looks too soon. You have to keep your ears open because you will be competing with predators to find her.

Your baby sounds a little older than 6 weeks to me, with the chinny hair and all. Mine got that at 8-9 weeks and that is when she started looking like adult ones, but your rehabber saw him and I didn't - plus I really only have mine and the photos on the board to go by. He may not have scratched because he was never strong enough to. They can't retract - those nails just go where they go. My little girls gums me all the time ( she has all her teeth, but is gentle) but her nails have shredded my whole family, as she jumps and leaps about.

I don't know about boys being more aloof with humans. Most of the suirrels that get discussed on this list are male. which I find interesting. Male cats are more personable and more affecionate. I saw a website where they claimed the majority of orphans are males. Odd, huh? On this board, some rehabbers (mostly) only get males and others only get females. Figure that one out! The website said it was because the females get aggressive and push the males out of the nest :poke I think that is baloney, but the person felt strongly enough that she only wanted to deal with males:shakehead . I have a famale that is a sweetheart, and she is the only one I know.

There are lots of myths to rehabbing squirrels ;-)

[uRabbit]

Well I dunno. Searching around someone's yard, lookin up their trees, and whatnot... that all seems a little intrusive.

Our property of .6 acres has pine trees and lots of other trees and two "families" of squirrels (back yard and front yard), it seems.

That's the first baby squirrel I've ever seen. And the first squirrel I've ever touched. And we've lived in this house for eight years... I've never heard a squirrel's call. But the rehabber said that it scared her when she first heard it and dropped the baby squirrel. Heh.

We'll see. It just seems like that was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[Bell & Noah]

I am so sorry urabbit. :grouphug Sounds like something could have happened when the rehabber dropped the baby. Very strange that she got scared and dropped the squirrel. :Love_Icon

[thumper]

sorry to hear of the loss....seems like that to me as well (once in a lifetime), but still I try... myself I stop at every road killed squirrel I come across and check for signs of lactation...(swelled milk glands under their nipples) if I find any sign that its a mom I spend much time searching the nearby area for the next few days looking for the poor starving babies that venture out as a last dich effort to survive... I found bumper this way (well he was right in the road not far from the dead mom) and found 2 other sets of a road killed mother with the babies dead nearby...no luck this year as yet...still looking.... I'm not a rehabber but will add,, since your looking for a baby:you need to keep newley found babies warm and hydrated untill they recover...get some pedialyte and get a heating pad... I put no faith in a hot water bottle other than as a very short term emergency heat source as its not constant past an hour or so....if this info is incorrect, I wellcome any and all corrections/input... good hunting...:smiley_pirate

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I am so sorry to hear that your little one did not make it. If you are interested in getting more babies to raise, I would recommend finding a wildlife center near you to volunteer at. They will show you the ropes and then probably let you become a subpermittee and take things home. Then if you like that you can think about getting your own permit. That is how I got started. If you don't have a wildlife center nearby, maybe you could call the lady that gave you all the stuff for your little guy and ask her if you can work under her and take things home with you. She could probably use the help.

[Buddy'sMom]

So very sorry to hear about your little guy, uRabbit. You were very generous with your time and efforts and gave him a chance -- and a warm and loving home, if only for a few days. :thumbsup There may well have been internal injuries that couldn't be detected -- the scab on his head may have been from hitting a tree limb if he fell from his nest. How sad that he couldn't be saved. But you did the right things and shouldn't blame yourself.

Have you checked your yard for others? Where there is one, there might be more -- if something happened to his mom and she didn't return to the nest.

:Welcome Stick around -- you sound like you will fit in well here -- squirrel-lovers, all. :)

[acorniv]

I too thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I've lived on 3/4 of an acre in a heavily wooded subdivision for 12 years (jeesh, that sounds competitive - bigger, longer, LOL - don't mean it to!) and have never seen a baby before. You note my name here is acorn iv - that has been my email addy for all those years, not something I came up with since finding our squirrel. My 16 yo was acorn obsessed as a baby/toddler, and by association, squirrel obsessed. He has a collection of antique squirrels, and his room is done like a forest. He wanted to go into zoology and study common woodland animals. He has asked Santa for them and dressed like them on Halloween. Even in his super hero stage, his super hero was Dopey, from Snow White, LOL - because that movie had so many little woodland animals.

You'd think if they were so readily available we'd have found one. Nope. Miss Hickory came from a freind's lake property an hour and a half from here. She wasn't found either, - she found the man who gave her to us, and climbed his pants leg. It was not until I joined this list that I discovered they are easy to find if you know where and when to look. Judging by the numbe of squirrels I see on the road - easily a dozen a day evyer day I am out - the infant mortality rate must be huge. The babies are out there!

The suggestion that you contact your rehabber and see about volunteering and learning from her was a great one. If she isn't open to it, try to find another, and another until you succeed. Meanwhile, stick around and learn from the posts here.

My experience outside of this board has been that rehabbers and even cat and dog shelters often jealously guard their territory. I've learned from this board that not all do!!! So keep trying. Perhaps someone on this board can recommend a place near you. You can also try your wildlife center, but I've had worse ( horrendous) luck there. I know some are good, but again, not all are, so be prepared to be told you are the scum of the earth for offering :shakehead . Thanks to the attitude of our three closest wildlife centers, my son has decided against majoring in zoology and has decided to major in psychology and herbology instead. I suppose it's time to change my name and email addy from acorniv to nutiv, >sigh<. Also beware of centers that do not know what they are doing, and insist on using kitten milk replacer or routinely aspirate their charges. As my kid's music teachers love to say, it is a lot harder to relearn the right way if you've been taught the wrong way first. BTDT with squirrel fostering!

We did have two squirrel encounters in our house (via my cat, who used to bring presents until we had a big argument over a bunny). Both were Southern flying squirrels, and they were adults. One was very dead and the other was very alive :D We were VERY happy just to be able to get the live one out again. It ricocheted all over the living room and I was so afraid he'd injure himself. Fortunately, wthin a few hair raising moments, we were able to corral him under a bookcase that is on legs, and coaxed him into a cat carrier. He looked fine; just freaked out. We've never seen a more beautiful animal, but did not want to distress him further by photographing or even looking too long. My dh took him out to our biggest oak and said he looked just like a rocket launch. I was floored to learn people rehab them!

[uRabbit]

No, no. The rehabber didn't drop my squirrel. Sorry. That was with her very first squirrel, before she ever heard one cry before. Heh.

I looked around. But I don't really know where to look. He was sort of found out in the open. I took some pictures of the part of our yard where he was found. Granted, there's still more vegetation than that, but I wouldn't imagine him running out into the open, so he must have been left there or fell there...

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s140/uRabbit/IMGP0261.jpg
picture of the majority of the area and its surroundings
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s140/uRabbit/IMGP0262.jpg
actual spot he was found (against the fence)
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s140/uRabbit/IMGP0263.jpg
tree that hangs over the spot he was found
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s140/uRabbit/IMGP0264.jpg
larger nearby tree (above blue tarp seen in first picture)

[Buddy'sMom]

Hmmm, not sure where you should look either. :dono Buddy crawled a VERY long way from where we think he fell, and we didn't even see the likely nest until the leaves fell. Maybe just listen for others ..... ? It depends why he was out there -- if because something happened to mom, then there could well be other siblings that get hungry and leave the nest, too. But it could be just that something happened with him -- either fell or was pushed out of the nest -- and any other babies are still fine with mom. Just a thought to keep your eyes (ears!) open -- but there might not be any to find.
:grouphug

[Tammy]

When I read this unhappy thread I wondered Why on earth would someone leave a baby squirrel unattended in a room with a CAT? Common sense- Where did that go? When it comes to rehabbing animals I believe that we have to take every precaution so that little fuzzer will make it. We can't afford to make errors and if someone does who pays the price? The little fuzzer in need pays the price. Its so sad- and I'm a little angry that he was left alone with a predator!!!!!!

[muffinsquirrel]

When I read this unhappy thread I wondered Why on earth would someone leave a baby squirrel unattended in a room with a CAT? Common sense- Where did that go? When it comes to rehabbing animals I believe that we have to take every precaution so that little fuzzer will make it. We can't afford to make errors and if someone does who pays the price? The little fuzzer in need pays the price. Its so sad- and I'm a little angry that he was left alone with a predator!!!!!!


Tammy, what you say is true, to an extent. But no one is perfect. Things slip by us, or there are things we don't know to watch for, and so we make a mistake. Rehabbing, like life, is a continuous learning experience. We do the best we can with what we know, and as we grow, so do our skills. Anyone that doesn't make mistakes is just existing, not living.

URabbit did her best for this baby, and I don't think anyone can blame her for it's death. She learned a very hard lesson, and we all got a reminder of things to beware of. Hindsight is an easy way to diagnose things - trouble is, it comes too late to help.

My thanks to you, uRabbit, for all you did for this baby. I hope you continue to explore the idea of rehabbing - we need all the caring people we can get!

muffinsquirrel

[uRabbit]

When I read this unhappy thread I wondered Why on earth would someone leave a baby squirrel unattended in a room with a CAT? Common sense- Where did that go? When it comes to rehabbing animals I believe that we have to take every precaution so that little fuzzer will make it. We can't afford to make errors and if someone does who pays the price? The little fuzzer in need pays the price. Its so sad- and I'm a little angry that he was left alone with a predator!!!!!!

Okay. You, ma'am, are prejudice. Ever heard of children? I had to go to the bathroom, and left him on the couch upstairs. The children (neice and nephew) were outside. They came in with the cat. The cat came upstairs. But like I said, the cat did nothing. I believe the little guy got frisky and rolled off the couch. He was a curious little thing.

BTW, so everyone knows, I'm a male. Haha@muffin. =]

[acorniv]

Tammy, if you read through all the posts you will find that I asked, and he said that the cat slipped in when he wasn't looking. I think he did something my son does, which is to tell about an incident in a light that makes him look more culpable than he actually is when he regrets something. It's a trait of the empathetic.

He was keeping them seperate ( his post about this is included on this page). But kitties will get loose. I've had that happen too. All of us are guilty of being less than 100% on top of a situation 100% of the time. In my house it's a cat, but in your house it might be a boiling pot of water, or an ill placed branch.

Besides, there is no evidence that the cat was the cause of this squirrel's death. Cat's aren't evil and not all of them are predatory.

I don't think pointing out the obvious is ever productive either - it just makes most people defensive and the few who take responsiblity just beat themselves up more. The title of this thread shows he is blaming himself enough without our help. Not many people would so openly admit their mistakes, and I commend him for his honesty. I also commend him for his overall care of this squirrel.

Tammy's post really hit a nerve with me, because I've been the target of a cat comment or two myself, and my cats haven't even had contact with my squirrel. They've simply been in the same room a few times (with the squirrel in her cage). One rehabber (not on the board) went so far as to say there was no possible way to release a squirrel that has lived with a cat. As if they are being encourged to interact.

I'd like to tell it how it is at my house between squirrel and cat, so that those who don't have cats might better understand how it really goes:

I love cats. I've had cats since the day I was born (Six Toed Pete is listed among the gifts in my baby book). I've had my current two cats for 16 and 8 years. In that time we have had a mouse and four hamsters in addition to my parrot and a blue jay chick we fostered. My cats have never bothered any of them (even when the hamsters delighted in harrassing the cats from their hamster balls). My older cat is a dedicated huntress, but has always regarded inside animals of any size as family and off limits as prey. On occassion she will see them move out the corner of her eye, and suddenly give them the 'look'. Then she realises where she is and looks very guilty and skulks away. My 8 yo never hunts and is very maternal. Chances are she would have adopted this one.

Since getting Miss Hickory, I have kept my beloved cats in the back of our house, because it is really important to me that Miss Hickory regard cats as predators.

I am forfeiting the pleasure of my cats' company for the benefit of this wild animal. I miss them. I sometimes feel that those who disparage cats use that - they assume I am sloppy because I am surely conflicted. These are not people who have any knowledge of my habits - it's 100% conjecture. I am scrupulous abotu the seperatin as are my dh and both my children. The LAST thing we'd want is to see one animal we love kill another we love.

Seperating them is no easy feat. There is one door between the front and back of the house, and my cats are used to having free reign. One, Rose, had a traumatic kittenhood at a rescue facility (I'm using the term rescue loosely), nearly died ( her brother did) and she has stuck to me like glue ever since. When I am at my computer, she is right next to me, talking to me, and demanding reassuring pets every two minutes. When I eat she sits at my feet and when I cook she is underfoot. When I go out she goes to the front door to wait, or if outside, to the driveway to wait for me. When a family member spends the night away she is frantic, and carries on, talking and circling me until they return. To her credit, when the squirrel came, she watched me give it it's first several feedings, from the far side of the room which she moved to on her own. It is unheard of for her to be so far away from me, but she is very maternal (she mothers balls of yarn, stuffed animals and socks) and knew this was an infant, and made room for it. Once it became aware of its surroundings, Rose and Pansy were banished to the back of the house. Rose has accepted banishment with grace, and seems to understand I am protecting my young. Everynight when I go to bed, she purrs louder than ever, happy to have me for the night. Every morning she lets me know she understands, and instead of hopping off my bed and following me to the kitchen, she stays and just watches me go.

Pansy, my 16 yo is her opposite in every way. She is not terribly social, but fights being put in the back, because Rose picks on her. She has always been a solitary sort and this is Rose's payback for Pansy declining to adopt her when she ws a kitten. Pansy's ears are torn up thse days because of the swipes Rose inflicts. She is stressed, so has had a relapse of what teh vet thinks is most likely an ulcer ( see the pet food thead for more on this). She sneaks through the doorway every chance she gets, runs in and hides from both us and Rose. She has kept us awake at night picking at the door.

My cats had beginnings that were worse than Miss Hickory's. They are remarkable survivors of trauma and both have given a lot to the squirrel cause at our house. I guess I feel prickly that cats are so maligned here. Mine don't deserve it.

I'm sure anyone could look at us with a critical eye and Monday morning quarterback every time one of the cats got out and tell me how they would have prevented it, just like everyone sitting on their couch could have fought off the gunman at Virgina Tech. Yup - it's just that easy when you aren't at the scene. This is not a laboratory, where everyone is in a cage (just the squirrel and parrot), but a home with a family and pets and long established routines that Miss Hickory has turned upside down.

Sure, you can block a door everytime you open it - so long as your arms aren't full of laundry, and so long as it is only one cat you are corraling. In my case, one of ours is fine boned, thin and wiley, and the other is short, lumpish and too heavy/awkward for any of us to pick up with one hand (don't lecture me on having an obese cat - it's a holdover from FIP). They make quite a team. Their opposite methods of avoiding capture means one always slips through. In the month + that we have had MH, we've gotten better at it, but we're not masters in cat herding yet. When we are I'm sure a documentary will be made about us :D

I use any breaches, when they occur, as teaching opportunities for Miss Hickory. We act alarmed in hopes she will too, and run for cover. Yesterday she showed us she gets it. Pansy ran in, I shouted in alarm, and for a moment it looked like Miss Hickory and Pansy were headed straight for each other ( MH was out, on top of her cage). Then MH swore at Pansy, and ran into her cage and into a fabric tube that she uses to hide in. :wahoo for Miss Hickory - as for Pansy, poor thing has no idea why she is now persona non grata. And, I am now dealing with her throwing up and having severe diarreah because she is so stressed out.

Having a cat and a squirrel is an awkward thing, I'll grant you that, and it does take special care to juggle both. And time to plan and learn technique. Someone who has just found a baby squirrel for the frist time is caught off guard. Shouting advice from the sidelines might make us feel better, but does not begin to touch reality.

Since I found my squirrel, I have campaigned for people to improve websites so that the information is user friendly and easily accessible. Having a bullet list of must dos and don't do's is a MUST if caring citizens are to be expected to do anythig right. The rehabbing information out there on the internet is a MESS. It's highly charged political rhteoric with little morsels of useful informaiton sprinkled in, and half of that information is wrong. The novice isn't privvy to which half, and wildlife centers and rehabbers often make matters worse because of what I attribute to jealousy.

I for one think the person in question did remarkably well given that. Better than I did at first, and I'm good at research, and have worked with animals all my life, including some exotics (can pet turkeys be called exotics?).

If you feel a sense of outrage when a novice makes a mistake, why not put that outrage to positive use and work towards improving the way information is disemminated? That way you can proactively help people so that when they first find an animal they will have all they need at their fingertips, instead of having to patchwork it together. That way you will minimize mistakes.

[Tammy]

Im sorry if I hurt anyones feelings. I guess I'm sad the little one didnt make it. I never take any unnecessary chances. When I was rehabbing 4 pinkies- things couldn't be perfect enough, everything was just so! I'm very particular in everything that I do. I try to for see what might happen and I look for dangers in every corner. If I think something/somewhere is unsafe the little ones will be right beside me! Sorry for hurting any feelings out there.

[island rehabber]

IMHO the answer here is simply to not encourage interaction between squirrel and cat. I have an indoor-outdoor cat whom I encourage to be more outdoor when it's squirrel rehabbing season -- this works well because the weather is better then, anyway. My squirrel cage is elevated four feet off the floor and even if Sinbad the cat passes by underneath, the squirrels barely see him, let alone interact with him. Common sense tells us a cat just being in the room with a caged squirrel is not going to kill the squirrel.....but doing things like putting the squirrel on the cat's back or putting the baby squirrel to sleep with the cat (as we often see in 'cute' news stories) is really dumb. And is going to result in the squirrel becoming cat-friendly, i.e. suicidal. Either way I don't think Urabbit's squirrel was killed by the cat.....I think it was an internal injury. Just my two cents. :peace Oh, yeah, and Sinbad is terrified of squirrels.....I worry more about them getting used to him and thinking cats are wimpy just because he is. :rotfl

[pamela lee]

I have a strictly indoor 7 year old cat. There is no way I could have kept him from being around his family. He would have literally drove me crazy. Peanuts cage was up on a table and for the first couple weeks Munky(the cat) wasn't even interested in him. Once Peanut started playing and being out more Munky got a little curious. But everytime Munky got anywhere near him Peanut would carry on so that poor Munky was terrified of him. This may not be typical but he's never been much of a predator . We had a hamster and he was absolutely terrified of him. All the hamster had to do was run toward him and Munky was out of here. Peanut never did get used to seeing the cat and raised the roof every time. So I didn't think I'd have to worry about him thinking they were friends. uRabbit you did the best you could, in fact alot of people out there would have just walked away. Atleast you tried.

[uRabbit]

Thank you to those who have words of encouragement.

Not so much thanks to those of you who are perfect in every way possible. I think I should start worshipping some of you... :bowdown :rolleyes:

ANYWAYYYYY. Heh. I've looked around my entire yard (front and back) and there's no sign of troubled squeakers. Darn/Yay! =]

I look forward to my future nutty adventures. =]

[muffinsquirrel]

......BTW, so everyone knows, I'm a male. Haha@muffin. =]


Well, Ok uRabbit, I was wrong about that. But everything else was right!!:innocent :rofl4

muffinsquirrel

[uRabbit]

Well, Ok uRabbit, I was wrong about that. But everything else was right!!:innocent :rofl4

muffinsquirrel

Haha. Love sarcasm. It gets me through my day. Haha.

It's okay. =]

[acorniv]

Thank you to those who have words of encouragement.

Not so much thanks to those of you who are perfect in every way possible. I think I should start worshipping some of you... :bowdown :rolleyes:
=]


I'm perfect - absolutely - and in every way. But I live with children, husbands and pets who are not. That's my problem. :poke

All kidding aside, I understand Tammy. I'm one of those super moms who are so often maligned on sitcoms and in the press. I LIKE doing my very tippy top best, in everything I do.

BUT - we all have limitations. Tammy, you might have nothing but squirrel babies on your plate - however, those of us who just stumbled upon babies in our yards often have children, other pets, bosses, husbands, wives, inlaws and I don't know - maybe parole officers - to answer to as well as the new baby. I know I do ( well, not the parole officer...). No matter how much it means to me to do a 'perfect' job of rehabbing Miss Hickory, she's not the only thing going on in my life.

I am reminded of the adage that with the first baby if she drops her binky you sterilize it. With the second you wipe it off on your sleeve, and with the thrid you have the dog retrieve it :rotfl You want to be perfect - you just adjust to what you can handle based on all your responsibilities, not just one.

It also occurs to me that if I were in perfect control of my life my squirrel would be dead, because I would not have rescued her. Perfect people don't rescue wildlife. Perfect - on time - every hair in place - people drive on by. It is the divergent, messy spontanious and slightly crazy sort who stop and give a care. Demographics of rescuers is probably worth looking at - how to impress on divergent types the need to do a proper job of it and how to appeal to perfectionists so they might prioritize rescuing wildlife above making perfect hospital corners.

I am not advocating or practising carelessness, just playing devil's advocate a bit :D